Fuller excited to ‘get started on a new chapter’

Kyle Fuller has been a force on Chicago’s secondary since 2014, and he has two Pro Bowl appearances, a Brian Piccolo Award, and a spot on 2018’s interception leaders to prove it.

After 390 tackles, two forced fumbles, and 37 pass deflections in seven seasons, Fuller was released by the Bears but immediately picked up on a $9.5 million contract with Denver.

Perhaps the most significant piece of this deal is No. 23’s history with Vic Fangio. The Broncos’ head coach served as defensive coordinator in Chicago from 2015-2018, a large chunk of Fuller’s career.

Fuller wasted no words during his introductory press conference, making it clear that he was excited to “get started on a new chapter,” noting that the process was crazy but worked out as it should have.

The cornerback’s familiarity with Vic Fangio, who bonded with him over golf in addition to their working relationship in Chicago, played a key role in drawing him to Denver.

“I mean I like the way he goes about coaching, you know, in the game of football,” he said. “I like that a lot.”

His knowledge on the team’s secondary came up early, with Fuller noting his former Bears teammate Bryce Callahan and new Bronco Ronald Darby, who played with Kyle’s brother Kendall in Washington.

Kendall also played with Patrick Mahomes as a Kansas City Chief from 2018-19, an interesting connection now that Kyle is a division rival.

Apart from Mahomes, Fuller will have Chargers’ QB Justin Herbert and Raiders QB Derek Carr to contend with for AFC West matchups, and he says he’s excited about the Broncos’ defense going up against each of them.

The salary cap was a point of interest given that Fuller took a $4.5 million pay cut by making the switch.

“I think in a situation with what’s going on around our league...I had to do that with every team, you know,” he said, “so that was something that I just prepared myself for.”

Fuller is confident with his ability to transition as a Bronco, especially considering his time alongside Callahan and under Fangio. “You know, I think there will be some adjustments, but it’s something I’m looking forward to, like I said.”

Having turned 29 last month, he also talked about physical durability, and cited being a “smart player” as the source of it. “I think the biggest thing is to be professional and take care of your body.”

Since his deal with the Broncos is a just one-year gig, he added that the coming season would “tell a lot” about where his career goes from here.

Honestly, I don’t think I’m going out on a limb to say we’re all ready for Kyle Fuller to upset some offenses. In fact, I’m ready to see Denver’s upgraded and refined defense shake up the entire AFC West. Might be optimistic, but hey, I’m feeling optimistic about this lineup.